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Our first major ‘Autumn’ update will arrive in two parts, a free content update and an optional paid DLC. This will introduce The Crocodile, a brand new computer-controlled opponent with his own tactics, castle design, army and of course, snappy personality!
While there will be some degree of combat to contend with in the economic campaign, the ultimate goal and thus victory will be decided by mastery of the game’s various economic industries and castle-life mechanics. The free component of the Autumn Update will be capped off by the inclusion of three new maps - One for Skirmish, Freebuild and Multiplayer.
After Crusader: DE’s fantastic launch, we are determined to keep pushing further with fixes, content updates and gameplay improvements inbound, to truly make this Definitive Edition a game worthy of the Crusader name.
The fan reception to Stronghold: Definitive Edition in 2023 showed us the hunger in the community for more games that take the cult classic games of the past, leaving the gold while elevating the old. The tremendous outpouring of love has pushed us to make this definitive edition of the fan-favourite Crusader the best it possible can be, adding more features, fixes and content than anyone could have expected. We can't wait to see how fans take this reimagined classic and make it their own.
The fundamental game will feel like an elevated version of the classic experience for returning fans and new players alike. With improvements and expansions to practically every core feature and beyond: reworked visuals, higher fidelity audio, new units, new AI Lords, new modes, 10k units cap, co-op, new missions, larger-than-ever maps, 8-player Steam multiplayer, Steam Workshop support, QoL improvements and more!
The free initial Autumn Update will feature a series-first economic campaign as well as a brand new CPU commander. Five missions will challenge players to complete a series of economic objectives, leaning heavily into our city builder gameplay mechanics. The new computer-controlled character can meanwhile also be played as friend or foe, selectable in the game’s offline skirmish and online multiplayer modes. Last but not least, three new maps will also be added, one for skirmish, another in Free Build mode and a balanced multiplayer battlefield.
If that wasn’t enough, the Winter Update continues this community-first trend with the addition of a second co-op trail of missions. The 10 missions found in the first co-op trail not enough for you? Well, dare to brave the challenges of this new trail and you just might come out victorious. Once again a new map pack of three maps will be added to the overall pool, keeping things fresh for players after launch.
Crusader: DE was designed with your feedback in mind and at the very top of that list were features like a proper coop mode. In past games we have offered coop in the form of team-based skirmish play and - In the case of Stronghold Crusader 2 - The ability for two players to control the same castle. In Crusader: DE we have gone a step further and designed a full 10 mission skirmish trail, allowing two players to cooperate and defeat the AI across a selection of new maps… With one or two classic battlefields thrown in there for good measure!
Featuring the game’s new AI opponents, units and more, this mode takes full advantage of everything Crusader: DE has to offer. In addition to all of this, we are pleased to announce that - Even though it's called a ‘Coop Trail’ - Solo players won’t be left out in the cold. If for whatever reason you are unable to buddy up with another human player online, the trail is fully playable with the help of one of our 20 AI characters! Battle alongside everyone from The Snake to The Sentinel, as you conquer this fresh take on classic skirmish trail gameplay.
Nothing forges stronger bonds than conquering challenges together. Whether it’s reuniting with distant pals, bonding with a new crusading comrade or finally teaming up with the Lord of Rats himself, the series-first coop mode for Stronghold Crusader: DE will be your chance to create new memories across fresh battlefields!
As some of Crusader’s most knowledgeable and experienced players, your feedback on our upcoming Definitive Edition has been invaluable. So naturally suggestions and ideas discussed online were studied in close detail, ahead of the game’s reveal earlier this year. Your Crusader: DE feedback was then further examined after January 20th, using the demo’s feedback form.
Many features have been requested by players since January. These include raising the overall troop count to a whopping 10,000 soldiers in a single game, to match that of Stronghold Crusader Extreme, which we can confirm today. We have also made the addition of a few Islamic buildings and related workers for the game’s Arabic and Bedouin Lords, as well as many vital bug fixes. The latter addresses specific exploits and issues discovered by the game’s most dedicated players across more than 20 years of play.
From map sizes up to four times the size of those available in the original, through to custom toggles for skirmish mode and online leader boards, we are striving to tick every possible box for fans of the original game. A Definitive Edition should include absolutely everything possible that players want out of Crusader and that’s what this final version intends to deliver!
Inspired by the roaming Bedouin tribes of the Middle Eastern deserts, these eight new troops open up a whole new world of siege tactics (and hurt!) on your rival lords. Be they friends you played the OG Crusader with way back in the day or new Stronghold allies found in our official Discord server
In our latest Feature Spotlight we reveal exactly what these new units are capable of and how you might use them to your advantage in your next medieval conquest. So please check out the video, learn their strengths, weaknesses and let us know what you think in the comments below! Player feedback has been a huge part of the success of our Definitive Editions, so as always we’d love to hear your thoughts for this upcoming game and of course future titles.
With today's new video we thought... What better way to toast this new season and alleviate some of that wait than with a sneak peek at our deadly new AI opponents, awaiting you this summer! From the wily and dastardly to the blunt and brutish, each of these new characters embody different cultures, employing unique units, castles and battle tactics, resulting in a completely fresh challenge for new players as well as returning series veterans.
In today's Feature Spotlight we also touch on a few changes coming to the game's original 16 enemy Lords, inspired by your suggestions and feedback in the whopping 20+ years since the game's initial release in 2002. This is just a taste of things to come, so please look forward to future videos spotlighting other tweaks that bring Crusader up to date in 2025.
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